GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) — Residents were told on Monday that their tap water was safe to drink, nearly a month after flooding ravaged the city and prompted plans to prevent future floods.
An order to boil the tap water before drinking was finally lifted after tests showed no contamination. City officials said people would continue to notice a chlorine smell and taste until the water lines are completely flushed.
Summer school officially opened on Monday at the University of North Dakota, although school officials estimated up to $100 million in flood damage to UND’s equipment for lights, heating, computers and research labs.
UND plant services director LeRoy Sondrol said the most noticeable changes for summer school students may be the number of outsiders in the dormitories.
In one hall, UND was housing hundreds of electricians who are helping restore power to the city.
Mayor Pat Owens said complaints about electricity were among the most pressing needs.
“If we can get electricians out en masse, that will take care of one of our biggest problems in Grand Forks,” she said.